A tag for all the Literary Geeks out there.

1) What author do you own the most books by?
J.K. Rowling
2) What book do you own the most copies of?
Jane Eyre and Anne of Green Gables. I have two of each title because mum got me the children’s version and the unabridged ones as well. Guess I’m not to be called a serious book collector yet. =P
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Prepositions? What’s that? It sounds like a familiar yet distant word to me.
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
For a moment, I thought him/her to be Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series but on second thought, I’d say Landon Carter from A Walk to Remember.
4a) What fictional character would you most like to be?
Anne Shirley
4b) What fictional character do you think most resembles you?
Anne Shirley.
5) What book have you read the most times in your life?
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
6) What was your favourite book when you were ten years old?
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.
7) What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
This question is really hard to answer because I haven’t read much at all the past year!
8 ) What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Jodi Piccoult’s Change of Heart. Absolutely brilliant!
9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
An abridged version of Don Quixote. We all need a laugh.
10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
Mmm..probably Kiran Desai or Yann Martel. I’m not sure.
11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Cecilia Ahern’s If You Could See Me Now.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
Cecilia Ahern’s Thanks For The Memories.
13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I dreamt I met Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley at a very old and grand looking staircase, probably at Hogwarts.
14) What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?
The Time Traveller’s Wife. Reading it was a torture but I must give credit to the amazing emotion of love I got out of the story, and its phenomenal ending.
15) What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Love by Toni Morisson. I would like to understand this work of hers someday.
16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?
I’ve never seen any.
17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
Neither.
18) Roth or Updike?
Sad to say, I know neither of them.
19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Neither.
20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare. To me, he’s more readable than Chaucer. Not sure about Milton though.
21) Austen or Eliot?
Austen!!
22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I’ve not read Les Miserables.
23) What is your favorite novel?
To Kill a Mockingbird.
24) Play?
The Importance of Being Earnest.
25) Poem?
I’m not a poem person but I do love Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’.
26) Essay?
None.
27) Short story?
The Canterville Ghost!!!
28) Work of non-fiction?
The Purpose Driven Life.
29) Who is your favorite writer?
J.K Rowling.
30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Dan Brown.
31) What is your desert island book?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
32) And … what are you reading right now?
Matlab Assignment sheet.

dha;jfh;asoih

I decided to type random letters and symbols into the title instead of just saying 'urgh'!! Life is getting busy and comitments are piling up but despite all of that, I really really feel happy! There are so many reasons to be thankful for. First of all, like yesterday morning, I asked myself the question "What would Jesus do?" when faced with a mini inner-conflict. The fact that I even asked myself that question got me thinking critically about how sometimes, the ultimate actions we undertake matter more than intent. Secondly, I have the greatest sweetheart in the world who takes care of me like no other. Whenever I look at the celestite he gave me on my table, a smile lits up across my chubby face =) =)

These days, I am breaking out of my coccoon. I'm challenging myself to be braver and braver, especially when it comes to communicating with strangers and people I won't usually be comfortable with. I'm also learning how not to be bogged down by dissapointments but to keep thinking positively and trying my best at whatever I do.

MIssing Mom

Today, I had to whip up a concoction of lemon, honey and tea to help me cure my sore throat and cough. Unfortunately, as soon as I drank a few sips of the (cursed?) drink, I launched into a fit of coughs. Ever since I recovered from my childhood asthma, I never coughed this much and this hard before. But I was really thankful to God for letting me cough like that, because in doing so, I am reminded of how mom used to take care of me during my weak childhood. I am not working hard to become somebody in life now because of selfish reasons. It's the last thing I want to do. I am doing this for mom, and dad and my beloved family.

Today, I write a tribute to mom. Some random things which pop up one by one, small little deeds done in extraordinary ways. Mom, the one who cleared my sick all throughout my life. Mom, the one who cycled in the rain to get me a pinafore for my public speaking contest. Mom, who got into an accident while trying to transfer me into another school. Mom, who consoled me when my friend was involved in a tragedy. Mom, who taught me her favourite hymn, 'God is Dwelling in my Heart'. Mom, who brought me to Jesus. Mom, who is never selfish with her hugs. Mom, the disciplinarian, the mentor, the friend, the teacher, the counsellor, the best loved besides God and His Holy Saints. May I bring you sunshine, laughter, happiness and serenity =) I love you, Mom!

Brain Dead to Anything but Food

Just as the title says, that is how I am these days. I experience these temporary yet frequent episodes of a dead brain. I can sit on my chair and let my mind (mind you, my mind, not my brain) wander while my brain stagnates and does nothing. Nothing at all, geez! I look at an equation of a circle and my dead brain does not process it as a circle. As I stare at the words 'transfer function', the gears in my brain stop working and I find myself in a trance, but of course unlike the famous trance depicted in American Beauty. THAT freaked me out! However, when the window to my soul (i.e. my eyes) feasts itself upon a little edible something, anywhere, anytime, my brain starts working, the gears make continuous contact with each other, they keep rolling rolling and rolling and signals are sent to my stomach to RUMBLE!

--"Gosh, wake up already you brain dead creature! You can be receptive only if you really wanted to."--

Anyways, that is how I am these days. Pathetic?. That would seriously be an understatement. Perhaps I should reinvent 'pathetic' into 'some sort of parasite that lives on algae' or anything else to that effect. This reminds me of Julia Robert's dialogue in My Best Friend's Wedding. HAHA.

Oh and by the way, did I mention I lost my voice? It happened just in the snap of my fingers, in 3 blinks of the eye, in a flash of lightning. I was pigging on some tortillas when suddenly, my voice turned all husky and manly. Whoa, so is this the feeling boys feel when their voice breaks? One moment you have your innocent pitch, and the next, you're eligible to sing a sexy duet with Shakira.

--"Next time, no more mexican chilli tortillas when you're having a sore throat you silly girl!!" --

Oh? Did I hear a buzz? Sounded like a mosquito. I'll make a mental note to spray some repellent in my room. ;P

I've been trying all day to cure this pain in my throat. Seriously! I gargled with salt twice, drank loads of water, ate some mint, bought and drank some honey but I guess the ultimate and most up to date thing that passed through my throat countered all those good old granny's remedies: Ice-creeeeaaammm.

So now, I SCREAM with jagged notes. (forgive the pun, I couldn't resist it)

So folks, what can I say now save , "Good bye to you, the usual product of the vibrations of my voice box, I hope to be reunited with you again sometime soon"?

T.T

On Mind Control and Pushing Yourself

Last night, kor kor and I both joined an organisation induction for students who are interested in working or volunteering abroad. The whole session was for 2 hours and it didn't exactly turn out as I thought it would. Firstly, very little was spoken on the subject of work placements abroad. Secondly, it was unexpectedly fun! I had an earlier presumption that it would be a scary session as there was a group assessment at the end of the induction but in the end, I thouroughly enjoyed myself. A very amazing speaker from India was present as a representative alumni of the organization and he managed to inspire in me a feeling I only feel at church or leadership camps. He was a very talented speaker and one thing that stuck to me was a slideshow presentation he showed us of quotes from famous people. I quote the one by Eleanor Roosevelt which appealed the most to me, because I find my weakness exemplified so perfectly by it : "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent". Plus, I found it so relevant to one of my previous posts 'Conquest of the Mind'. There was another quote last night which I would like to share because it was so very consistent with the context of the entire matter, "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character". Perhaps God is trying to send me a sign with these randomly spot on quotes? Perhaps He's trying to tell me that I ought to be happy all the time, as long as I choose it and surrender to Him.

This morning, I woke up with a partially stiff body, throbbing head and shivers. I debated with myself whether to go for my lecture or not and finally I did. It was indeed a conquest of mind! I am perhaps on the verge of a fever but I spent quite a long time at the university library today stocking up on distillation notes to write my report. I am surprised that I'm quite productive today, because at least, some research is done. =) The awful throbbing in my head has stopped and I'm thinking of going back home now although I still have not recorded the uncertainties in the apparatus I used for my experiment. That can wait till tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day, full of hope, full of lessons to be learnt =) Carpe Diem!